New grower pH questions

[Beachwalker]

Told ya he would be back to explain ! How you doin today @Beachwalker

Hello my friend good to see you! Hope you're well?!
🖐

 

[Beachwalker]

Fair enough. Thats a pure acid. I really meant lemon juice, vinegar and the like. They dont work for long and break right down.

Agree! Never had much luck with the vinegar, never tried lemon juice but I can see your point where it wouldn't be strong enough

Ps. Plus the citric acid is great if you use the powdered iced tea mix you can really kick that stuff up to lemony plus man! I love it like that..!!!

 

[Moshmen]

Just to add to this. Hydrated lime is not recommended as it is easy to over lime and it works very fast. Powdered calcitic and dolomite lime is preferred.

And baking soda is salt. I wouldnt add too much.

If ph adjustment is needed and it usually is not proper ph up and down are reasonably priced and work better.

My experience is considerably better, personally I spend less with ph up/down and have much better results and will prolly never go back to “organic” lol

 

[Moshmen]

Agree! Never had much luck with the vinegar, never tried lemon juice but I can see your point where it wouldn't be strong enough

Ps. Plus the citric acid is great if you use the powdered iced tea mix you can really kick that stuff up to lemony plus man! I love it like that..!!!

I thought you meant juice as well and I’ve used it. I should have known better I’ve seen that bag before ! Lol Lemon/lime they work but acid just to cheap and works to good .

 

[Beachwalker]

I thought you meant juice as well and I’ve used it. I should have known better I’ve seen that bag before ! Lol Lemon/lime they work but acid just to cheap and works to good .

Good stuff! I mix a solution stronger than the GH product and I think it holds just as long, maybe longer and at around $8 that bag will make many of those little orange GH bottles for cheap LOL Aquaman put me on to this about a year ago!
✌

 

[Kampbe1l]

Ph of the water would not likely affect seed germination.

Proper ph is different for different mediums. 6.5 is what ocean forest is set at with oyster shell. And pro mix hp is about 6.2 ph and uses dolomite and calcitic line to stay there.

Read about alkalinity in water and gardening to learn how ph is affected.

In purchased potting soil i think ec (ppm) is much more important to monitor. The ph range plants can take up nutrients is actually much wider than the common (incorrect) chart posted on the internet. The original was provided by general hydroponics to sell ph up and down to gardeners who dont understand alkalinity.

Hope this helps. Micromanaging ph can cause problems.

hear, hear.

Hello! I am having issues getting my seeds going and after everything it's pH!!!!! The pH meter I have is broke and I need a new one......after compare testing it....duh that was the problem!!! ,,,,I would prefer to have a digital meter to test the water and the soil, what two would you buy? And finally what chemicals would you use to adjust the pH?,,, Opinions please!!! Thanks to everyone

TinkTHC

1. do get a pH pen - there's plenty on the market which will do the job. you got some suggestions above, start from there. you need to get pH buffer solutions, electrode solutions to maintain/calibrate pH pen. you will use the pH pen to measure its sludge, run-off, nutrients, watering, etc.

2. decide on the growing medium - be it soil mix, coco-mix, hydroponics, etc. the choice of medium will determine what type of nutrients you require, what type of measuring schedule, etc.

3. keep it simple, slow down.

as MIMedGrower stated earlier, germination is a straight forward process - there are various methods to germinate seeds. You could even poke the seed into whatever growing medium - but i prefer myself to place the seeds between moistened paper towels, in a sealed sandwich bag. Then the germinated seed is sown into the growing medium, knowing it should sprout.

 

[THC.Tribble]

Hello! I am having issues getting my seeds going and after everything it's pH!!!!! The pH meter I have is broke and I need a new one......after compare testing it....duh that was the problem!!! I need a new one and I need suggestions please! What do meter do others use? Do you test the water pH or the soil pH or both? What meter is most accurate? I would prefer to have a digital meter to test the water and the soil, what two would you buy? And finally what chemicals would you use to adjust the pH? I would love to hear what everyone thinks about this. The marijuana plant is 90% or more water, so the pH is crucial. I also read that pH of 6 is perfect for the plant, is that correct? Opinions please!!! Thanks to everyone

TinkTHC

I’ve grown for many years and I have never tested the pH of the water that I put my seeds in and never had any problems. You’re right that a pH of about 6.8 is a good number to shoot for . Buy a handheld pH metre and ppm metre off Amazon ,they will help you balance the water coming from your tap with ph up and down buffers (the water that you feed them)

pH only becomes an issue for me once you start feeding your plants a substantial volume water .. and its depends what kind of minerals are in your water !

most big boy nutrients have a way of balancing the pH as you add equal parts one less thing to think about.

 

[TinkTHC]

Wow sorry ya all I missed half the conversation! Sticking my nose in ! Lol
Sorry tech

Love all the help everyone!!!

 

[TinkTHC]

Ph of the water would not likely affect seed germination.

Proper ph is different for different mediums. 6.5 is what ocean forest is set at with oyster shell. And pro mix hp is about 6.2 ph and uses dolomite and calcitic line to stay there.

Read about alkalinity in water and gardening to learn how ph is affected.

In purchased potting soil i think ec (ppm) is much more important to monitor. The ph range plants can take up nutrients is actually much wider than the common (incorrect) chart posted on the internet. The original was provided by general hydroponics to sell ph up and down to gardeners who dont understand alkalinity.

Hope this helps. Micromanaging ph can cause problems.

What do you think is causing my germination problem if it's not the pH of the water? I have tried the paper towel method with distilled water, tap water, and bottled water. I ordered the seeds from Amsterdam and they are female seeds. Anyone see something I don't?

 

[TinkTHC]

I would disagree with "better" I've used the GH product and some other bottled brand and I wouldn't give up my citric acid for anything! It's a fraction of the price of the pre-bottled products and seems to hold pH just as long too (not recommended for hydro)
View attachment 992469

I can find Citric Acid but it's another brand. It's all the same right? the name brand is Ball, it's used for canning! But chemically it is still the same.

 

[Moshmen]

Do t know if you have tried ? But I have had some success with stubborn seeds , by adding a drop of h2o2 in the soaking water for 12-24 hrs then into a coffee filter and baggie - I don’t have a fancy germination heating pad so I put em ontop of my cable box runs bout 80degrees pretty consistently, just something I try

 

[TinkTHC]

Do t know if you have tried ? But I have had some success with stubborn seeds , by adding a drop of h2o2 in the soaking water for 12-24 hrs then into a coffee filter and baggie - I don’t have a fancy germination heating pad so I put em ontop of my cable box runs bout 80degrees pretty consistently, just something I try

Peroxide really? I'll try anything...thank you!

 

[Moshmen]

Peroxide really? I'll try anything...thank you!

Yep just enuff to get it to fizz to add the o2

 

[TinkTHC]

Yep just enuff to get it to fizz to add the o2

I would have never thought of that.......great tip and excellent advice!!! Thank you so so much!!!

 

[TinkTHC]

I thought you meant juice as well and I’ve used it. I should have known better I’ve seen that bag before ! Lol Lemon/lime they work but acid just to cheap and works to good .

HAHA!!!!

 

[TinkTHC]

A little humor......LOL!!! Male seeds still grow right? What a laugh:D

 

[TinkTHC]

What's the best water to use? My tap water is full of impurities so I use distilled water. Is it better to use distilled water, dechlorinated tap water, or distilled dechlorinated water? All these water issues!!!! I have done so much research and heard so many different opinions what is the best route? I'm clouded by all the info. and need declouded!!!

 

[Kampbe1l]

yup, point of saturation, information overload. this is where I'm saying slow down.

don't ya do some basic botanics at home - tending to some household plants? we got some flowering plants, grow some herbs, in our city apartment. used to have a vegie patch and huge front & back yards before. most ppl would have this basic botanic experience.

treat it like a vegetative or fruit plant - you don't have to get too scientific about it all. nice soil or grow medium, good light, good warmth/humidity, watering/feeding regime and you probably got most of it on the correct path. it's where i'm saying keep it simple.

main aim is to get the grow going & get some results early, then you can get into fine tuning with all this science. tackle issues as they arise, though always good prevention to avoid issues in the first place.

what's the condition of your tap water? have you used the water to grow plants (other household plants even)? how does your plants react to such watering?

just get the seeds popped, and whack into some commercial potting mix, mixed with some more perlite, into a small pot. it's a good start....

 

[TinkTHC]

I’ve grown for many years and I have never tested the pH of the water that I put my seeds in and never had any problems. You’re right that a pH of about 6.8 is a good number to shoot for . Buy a handheld pH metre and ppm metre off Amazon ,they will help you balance the water coming from your tap with ph up and down buffers (the water that you feed them)

pH only becomes an issue for me once you start feeding your plants a substantial volume water .. and its depends what kind of minerals are in your water !

most big boy nutrients have a way of balancing the pH as you add equal parts one less thing to think about.

Big boy nutrients?

 

[Moshmen]

yup, point of saturation, information overload. this is where I'm saying slow down.

don't ya do some basic botanics at home - tending to some household plants? we got some flowering plants, grow some herbs, in our city apartment. used to have a vegie patch and huge front & back yards before. most ppl would have this basic botanic experience.

treat it like a vegetative or fruit plant - you don't have to get too scientific about it all. nice soil or grow medium, good light, good warmth/humidity, watering/feeding regime and you probably got most of it on the correct path. it's where i'm saying keep it simple.

main aim is to get the grow going & get some results early, then you can get into fine tuning with all this science. tackle issues as they arise, though always good prevention to avoid issues in the first place.

what's the condition of your tap water? have you used the water to grow plants (other household plants even)? how does your plants react to such watering?

just get the seeds popped, and whack into some commercial potting mix, mixed with some more perlite, into a small pot. it's a good start....

Agreed to much info can be overwhelming but she’s having trouble poppin seeds /gettin em to crack !